Chicago Baseball

Cardinals' record-tying 7th whips Cubs

Chicago Cubs 0, St. Louis Cardinals 12

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Chicago Cubs right fielder David DeJesus misplays a ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals' Skip Schumaker in the seventh inning of a baseball game on Saturday, July 21, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Jake Westbrook worked seven innings of three-hit ball and the St. Louis Cardinals finally backed him — and then some — by tying a 76-year-old major league record with seven doubles in a 12-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.

Rafael Furcal's go-ahead single in the seventh turned out to be a mere appetizer as the Cardinals also matched an 86-year-old franchise record for runs in an inning. St. Louis totaled 10 hits with multiple hits by three players including pinch-hitter Allen Craig, who doubled twice with an RBI.

The Cardinals managed five hits the first six innings before jumping on Justin Germano (0-1) and three other relievers. They tied the major record for doubles in an inning by the Boston Bees at St. Louis in the first inning of Game 1 of a doubleheader on Aug. 25, 1936.

They tied the franchise record for runs in an inning set Sept. 16, 1926, against the Phillies, in the third inning of the opener of a doubleheader in Philadelphia.

Cubs starter Matt Garza was taken out after three scoreless innings with cramping in his right triceps, an injury that wasn't obvious and prompted speculation that he had been traded. The Cubs added a bit of intrigue, waiting until the bottom of the sixth to announce the injury and the fact X-rays were negative.

Germano got unlimited warmups in the fourth, an indication he was entering because of an injury or ejection, although the rule book also allows for an unspecified sudden emergency. Germano allowed a run in three-plus innings before the roof caved in on the Cubs.

James Russell gave up six runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Manuel Corpas gave up four runs without getting an out, surrendering three doubles and a walk.

Previously, the Cubs hadn't allowed more than six runs in a single inning. The Cardinals topped their previous season best of eight runs April 27 against the Brewers.

Westbrook (8-8) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, falling behind 3-0 in the count against Geovany Soto before inducing a groundout. The sinkerballer permitted only two baserunners his last six innings, a leadoff single by David DeJesus in the third and a walk by Luis Valbuena in the fifth, and neither of them made it second.